Phony delivery drivers attack children during home invasion in what could be alarming new trend: expert
A trio of depraved armed robbers posing as deliverymen barged into a Colorado family's home and attacked two children in what could be an alarming new trend, an expert and police say.
The kids' anguished parents – who were not home at the time of the June 12 home invasion – witnessed the fake delivery men enter their house on a Ring doorbell.
The men allegedly attacked the babysitter and assaulted two children – a 14-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy, according to a release from the Aurora Police Department.
"It’s an old crime with a new twist," said retired NYPD Sgt. Joseph Giacalone, who is a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. "These guys are always looking for a new way to get into your house, and I'm sure police are very worried about whether this is a growing pattern."
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A tactic criminals once used was trying to gain access to a home by posing as utility workers, Giacalone said. However, this approach is no longer effective with workers wearing distinct uniforms and carrying identification cards, he added.
The terrifying Colorado home invasion that took place about 10 miles from downtown Denver is the latest in a string of robberies involving fake delivery workers.
The ordeal unfolded a little after 8:30 p.m., when one of the suspects approached the door wearing a bright orange vest and carrying a box, according to footage obtained by KDVR.
"They were dressed in construction vests and claimed they were there to drop a package off. The suspects were holding a package and waited for the residents of the home to open the door," the Aurora Police Department said. "When they did, the suspects forced their way in and robbed the family."
WATCH VIDEO OF ARMED ROBBERS BURST INTO COLORADO HOME:
One of the people inside the home opened the door slightly, and the man wearing the vest immediately pushed his way in.
He then began yelling at two accomplices in Spanish that he had gained access.
Ring camera footage showed one of the men holding what appeared to be a gun in his hand as he barged into the home and another suspect exiting a car that was idling outside to join them.
The teen girl was touched inappropriately during the roughly one-minute ransacking, which netted the thieves jewelry and cash, her mother told KDVR.
The babysitter and young boy were also shoved to the ground during the break-in.
The homeowners called police after being alerted to the intruders by their Ring camera.
The kids' mother said her son – who can be seen crying after police arrive – is badly traumatized by the incident.
Their mother said she was deeply frightened by the attack and that she fears long-term damage to her kids.
Police departments across the country have warned homeowners to be careful about opening their doors to strangers after a spate of home invasions.
A burglar posing as a DoorDash driver was killed last year in Indiana when the homeowner pulled out a gun and shot the intruder, FOX59 reported.
In November, a pair of armed robbers posed as deliverymen and forced their way into a New York City home to steal $70,000 in valuables. The victims were bound in duct tape, according to the NYPD.
A fake deliveryman donning an orange fluorescent vest and clutching a manila envelope tried to storm into a Connecticut home with a gun last year, but the owner shoved him and slammed the door.
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Giacalone said that the most important precaution to "prevent something terrible from happening to your family" is to verify the identity of the delivery person.
"If someone knocks on the door saying you need to sign for a package request to see their ID, whether through a window, a peephole or a door camera," he suggested.
Homeowners, he added, should also peer out their windows to ensure there is a UPS or Amazon truck parked nearby.
Fox News Digital's Emmett Jones contributed to this report.